Torrey Maldonado's voice is perfectly pitched for Trev, a promising Black 12-year-old who is dealing with family and community violence. His stepfather is in jail for hitting his mother. Trev trains in boxing to protect his sisters, and he fears his mom will soon need protection, too. Complicating matters is Trev's promise as an artist. Are his hands for boxing or drawing? When Trev thinks to himself or shares concerns with caring relatives, listeners hear a worried teen with a voice that often cracks. When Trev is acting cool or feigning indifference, Maldonado gives him a deeper, disinterested voice. Sadly, some of the quieter conversations require multiple volume adjustments. Use of vernacular language and Trev's differing modes of communicating give this audiobook a tone of authenticity.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593664209
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A moving, compelling story about family, connection, and resilience featuring an unforgettable protagonist.
This story, which alternates between prose and poetry and letters, is an emotional, powerful listen. Thirteen-year-old Dasia is on Day 19 of induction chemotherapy after a life-changing diagnosis. Author Stone perfectly captures Dasia's fear, uncertainty, anger, and loneliness. After a particularly rough day, Dasia wakes up to find fellow patient Jameson “Jimmy” Jeffs in her room. Despite everything that makes them different—wealth, family dynamics, geography, opportunity, etc.—over the course of one night, they discover all the things that they have in common and form an unbreakable bond. The poetry sections are particularly moving as Dasia deals with the loss of her father, her brother's incarceration, and her complicated home life while trying to find strength and hold on to hope.
A moving, compelling story about family, connection, and resilience featuring an unforgettable protagonist. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 58 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217351503
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
Catch up with the Miller family through the voice of the youngest child.
Keylor Leigh narrates this fifth and final novel in the Miller Family series, this time focusing on the youngest family member, 10-year-old Poppy. Still grieving the death of her father, Poppy is facing a Thanksgiving with lots of changes in the people around her—her brother, Billy, is returning from college; her lovelorn sister, Sal, is rebelling; and her mother has a new male friend. Luckily, Poppy has her art to help her cope. Leigh takes Poppy through these challenges with a youthful voice filled with exasperation, desperation, anticipation, and, always, love. Leigh ably conveys Sal's sarcasm and portrays Billy’s coming-of-age.
Catch up with the Miller family through the voice of the youngest child. (Fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063517196
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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